4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[southernchicken]

Hi, I have 3 hens all purchased as pol pullets at 20 weeks old . They are now 23 weeks old and 2 of them are laying every day , but the 3rd who I believe to be the top hen is not.

 

I believe she is top girl as she is first out ,first to feed, first to run over to the netting dividing their free ranging area and vocally defends her 2 friends if I pick them up.

 

Am I wrong to assume that she should be laying like her 2 friends, or has she more important things to do like protecting her 2 mates instead of laying eggs ?

[Egluntyne]

Erm.....are you sure that she is not a cockerel? Any pictures of them?

[southernchicken]

that was a thought i had and tried to ignore, shes been behaving odd pecking eglu consistently for over 15 minutes see video in link.

 

also pictures in link,

 

 

http://s624.photobucket.com/albums/tt326/southernchicken/

Edited April 19, 2009 by Guest

[southernchicken]

link above works fine now

[Redwing]

They do all look like girls thank goodness

 

I guess she will lay in her own merry time, does she crouch when you go to pick her up? when they start crouching eggs are coming soon!

[southernchicken]

thank you redwing i can rest easy now, the other two do squat down when picked up and both like their feathers rustled. just a late bloomer i think.

[Egluntyne]

They do look like girls. Phew.

 

Have you checked under shrubs etc to make sure she hasn't got a secret cache of eggs in the garden?

[feemcg]

23 weeks is nothing, 33 weeks is common, 43 weeks is not unusual........ .....plenty time yet.

[Ms Marple]

I agree with the previous post from Fee. We got our girls at the same age (15 weeks). Two were laying by about 25 weeks whereas the third, the one I would consider to be top hen took a further 12 weeks before she finally got her act together!! Even now, she is different as she lays in the afternoon usually whereas the other have both laid by 9.30am.

I guess its her way of reminding us that she is the 'chosen one'!!